Magnetic minesweeping electrode cable



29, c QUlGLEY MAGNETIC IINESWEEPING ELECTRODE CABLE Filed NOV. 5, 1943 l4 CCNDUCTIVE PRQI'ECTNE COPPER COATING CHARLES J OU/GLEY INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 29, 1947 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MAGNETIC MINESWEEPIN G ELECTRODE CABLE (Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as amended April 30, 1928; 370 O. G. 757) 6 Claims.

This invention relates to a magnetic minesweeping cable electrode, and has for an object to provide an improved magnetic minesweeping cable electrode which will have considerably longer life than the present conventional magnetic minesweeping cable.

Conventional cables for the sam purpose are generally wound from copper wires which are applied in layers until the proper dimension of cable is attained. A typical cable is one made of one-eighth inch diameter wire applied in layers of 1, 6, 12 and 18 and 24 wires per layer, respectively, from the center outward. A disadvantage of such minesweeping cable electrode is its short life. Such copper cable electrodes are badly attacked by the products of the electrolysis of salt water occurring during the passage of heavy electrica1 currents through the sea water between the electrodes. This attack results in the formation of insoluble copper compounds, some of which ,wash away in the water and represent permanent loss to the electrodes.

It is an object of this invention to avoid such a disadvantage and to lengthen the life of the minesweeping cable electrode very considerably.

A further object of this invention is to provide a magnetic minesweeping cable electrode which not only has far longer life and electrical properties than the conventional cable previously used for this purpose, but also uses considerably less copper in it composition, thus resulting in the saving of this critical material.

This invention is accomplished by omitting the outer laye of copper wires from the cable and substituting instead a peripheral layer of steel wires of the same number and dimension as the eliminated copper wire. The inventor is aware of U. S. Patent to Edwards, No. 2,250,907, of July 29, 1941, but while such patent consists of a cable of both steel and copper strands, such patented cable is not usable for a magnetic minesweeping cable electrode, for its construction is such that its life would be no longer than that of the conventional all copper cable, which the cable of this invention replaces. The particular feature provided by this invention is the provision of a conductive protective coating on the copper wires. The inventor is also aware of the pending patent applicatioi to W. L. Williams, Jr., Serial No. 484,855, filed April 28, 1943, now Patent No. 2,396,734, of March 19, 1946, and the present invention is an improvement over such Williams application in that it makes the life of the Williams electrode even greater.

With the foregoing and other objects in view,

the invention consists in the construction, combination and arrangement of the parts hereinafter described and illustrated in the drawings.

The figure is a cross-sectional view of a magnetic minesweeping cable electrode made up according to this invention.

There is shown at 10 the magnetic minesweeping cable electrode of this invention. This electrode l0 consists of a plurality of layers of individual wires similar in dimension and number to that of the conventional all copper magnetic minesweepin cable electrode, whereas it may be made up of layers of l, 6, 12, 18 and 24 wires per layer, respectively, from the center outward. All the inner layers I l of the wire are made of copper just as in the conventional cable, but the outer or peripheral layer 12 is made up of steel wires of the same dimension as the wires 1 l, and hence in the cable illustrated there are twenty-four steel wires l2 forming the periphery of its cable. However, if there are a greater o lesser number of layers in the cable, the essential feature is that the peripheral layer or layers should be of steel wires while the inner layers are of copper wire. As a result of this construction it has been found that when the peripheral layer is made of steel or of other ferrous metals or alloys, and the inner layers are made of copper, that there is a. con siderable increased resistance to metal loss. Typical results of tests made with steel Wires l2 wound on coppe wires l I show that with the all copper electrode the weight loss in grams per faraday is 21.3, while under the same conditions the total weight loss in grams per faraday for the steel periphery copper center cable electrode of this invention is only 3.5, the total copper loss being 0.6. The features thus far described are those of the Williams electrode of the above men. *tioned application. Provision of this invention consists in adding conductive protective coating l4, particularly about the individual strands of copper wire II. This conductive protectiv coating consists of an inert conductive filler compounded with a plastic binder. This inert filler may be graphite so that the composition of the coating would be graphite and plasticized vinyl chloride in the ratio fifteen to one by weight. Carrying forward the above tests the total Weight loss of this invention in grams per faraday is only 2.9, while the total copper loss in grams per faraday is zero. The essential properties or this coating are its excellent electrical conductivity, permanent flexibility under al1 test conditions, strong adhesion to copper and stability under oxidation and reduction during electrolysis. In general, the

aerator c'la-ss of plastic binders preferred would be synthetic elastomers similar in properties to plasticized vinyl chloride.

Besides thus possessing a longer life than the all copper cable, its use provides a considerable conservation of copper. The bi-metal electrode of this invention is considerably less expensive and has the necessary properties of high electrical conductivity, high resistance against metal loss, flexibility and ease of handling. Furthermore, the present electrode can be substituted for the all copper electrode and used in the same magnetic minesweeping gear in which the all copper electrode is used without any alterations. The coating may be applied readily and can be repaired on shipboard.

Other modifications and changes in the mumher and proportions of the parts'may be made by those skilled in the art without departing irom the nature of this invention within the scope of what is hereinafter claimed.

The invention described herein may be mam uiactured and used by or .for the Government oi the United States of America for governmental purposes without the payment or any royalties thereon or therefor.

What is claimed is:

l. magnetic minesweeping underwater electrode comprising a plurality of layers of wires, center of the electrode consisting of wires of cuprous materials covered with a conductive corrosion protective coating and the periphery of electrode consisting of wires of ferrous materials.

2. A magnetic minesweeping underwater elec trode made up of a plurality of concentric layers of wires, the inner layers being of copper wire covered with a conductive corrosion protective coating and the periphery of the electrode being of steel wires.

3. A magnetic minesweeping underwater elemtrode comprising a plurality of layers of wires, the center of the electrode consisting of wires of cuprous materials covered with a conductive corrosion protective coating and the periphery. of the electrode consisting of wires of ferrous mat rials, said conductive protective coating compris ing an inert conductive filler combined with a plastic binder.

4. A magnetic minesweeping underwater elec trode comprising a plurality. of layers of wires, the centeroi the electrode consisting of wires of cuprous materials covered with a conductive corrosion protective coating and the periphery of the electrode consisting of wires of ferrous materials, said conductive corrosion protective coating comprising an inert conductive filler combined with a plastic binder, said inert conductive filler being graphite.

5. A magnetic minesweeping underwater electrode comprising a plurality of layers of wires, the center or" the electrodeconsisting of wires of cuprous materials covered with a conductive corrosion protective coating and the periphery of the electrode consisting of wires of ferrous ma.- terials, said conductive corrosion protective coating comprising an inert conductive filler combined with a plastic binder, said plastic binder being plasticized vinyl chloride.

.6. A magnetic minesweeping underwater electrode comprising a plurality of layers of wires, the center of the electrode consisting of wires of cuprous materials covered with a conductive corrosion protective coating and the periphery of the electrode consisting of wires of ferrous materials, said conductive corrosion protective coating comprising an inert conductive filler combined with a plastic binder, said inert conductive filler being graphite, said plastic binder being plasticized vinyl chloride, and said graphite and said-plasticized vinyl chloride being in the ratio of fifteen to one by weight.

CHARLES J. QUIGLEY.

REFERENfiES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,987,508 Johns Jan. 8, 1935 2,231,595 Safiord Feb, 11, 1941 1,691,869 Fowle Nov. 13, 1928 2,041,213 Schellenger May 19, 1936 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 304,031 British Jan. 17, 1929 549,269 British a- 1942 

